Sunita Pradhan
VP, Customer Success, Hospitals and Health Systems, ELLKAY
What does innovation in Health IT mean to you? 
Innovation in Health IT represents a commitment to leveraging current and emerging technologies in order to transform how care is delivered.
History explains why innovation in Health IT is so critical to an organization’s success. Simply put, technology in healthcare initially focused on capturing data electronically, resulting in vendors offering customizations and flexibility in workflows. The goal of sharing that data and analyzing it across disparate data sources came later. Now we have data-rich environments that, if tapped into, can positively impact the delivery of care.
What made you become involved in healthcare technology?
It's a funny story really. A fortune teller once told me, "Your profession will be in healthcare, but you will not become a doctor. Your profession will be in education, but you will not become a teacher." I thought to myself, "HA! Thanks for that little riddle!" As I reflect on my career and these past ten years at ELLKAY, I can't help but chuckle and think it was always meant to be – there’s no better way to describe what I do!
My parents were both in IT, and I was probably the first person in my middle school to have a personal computer in our home. I have always been immersed in the world of technology. Growing up, my father made sure I was comfortable with things like connecting electronics wires, changing a flat tire, and familiar with the jargon and nuances of IT. However, Health IT was not my original plan. I began my college education on a pre-medicine track, hoping to become a pediatrician. After graduating, I went to work for my mother’s IT staffing firm with the intention of making money and helping out for one year. Well…one year turned into 10.
The firm grew to 175 employees, and I went from doing small tasks here and there, to becoming the Operations Manager. One day my mother shared, “it is easier to keep track the availability and schedules of our 150+ employee company than that of my two children.” She wanted to do something about that, and I was on board…so we built an online school management system. It was implemented at many Jewish Day Schools and designed to empower parents to be more engaged in their children’s school life before Blackboard and Canvas became the norm.
I am inspired by my mother’s ability to live the American Dream. She built her own company as a single immigrant mother and put her two daughters through college. Leveraging technology to solve challenges in new and innovative ways is something I grew up with.
After leaving my mother’s firm, my next job was with a small healthcare IT company, working to solve the challenge of remotely diagnosing strokes. The technology this small company was building would help provide patients access to neurologists who were making life or death decisions for them. At this job, I saw the significance that incorporating innovation in healthcare IT can have for treating patients and the impact it could have on people’s lives. It was here that I gained a passion for continuing my career in Health IT.
How do you ensure your organization is keeping up with the continual advances in technology?
It was the innovation piece that drew me to ELLKAY and what drives us as a company. Twelve years ago, I learned of an eloquent solution ELLKAY provided that solved a simple challenge facing laboratories. They helped them avoid the need to copy data by hand to get it from one place to another.
Innovation must always be at work to not only keep up, but excel in Health IT. The key to innovation is to identify the gap and find a solution to close the gap. This small, seemingly simple challenge in laboratories had a ripple effect on care, and by closing the gap with technology, care was ultimately improved.
Ten years ago, Meaningful Use was driving the trend for providers to switch their EMR but the new challenge that emerged was the question of what to do with the data in the legacy system. ELLKAY had recognized this opportunity and was trying to solve for it. I was put in charge of developing our market strategy for conversion and archive with Silvana Lee Wang and Tom Johnson.
I remember one consultant said, “This is like the gold rush- all the vendors are rushing to dig for gold and you guys have the shovel.”
To keep up with advances in technology, healthcare IT professionals have to stay curious about the evolving needs of the healthcare workflow and understand their strategic vision. We also have to remain aware of how needs may change over time as new trends or regulatory requirements arise. When possible, designate time to speak with customers and potential partners directly. Learn what their struggles are and what is of importance to them. I am grateful to be part of a team that has been able to pivot, bend, and flex to provide solutions and address needs during this time of crisis.
How are current trends in Health IT impacting your organization?
COVID-19 has forced initiatives to transform the way health care is delivered and has given rise to digital health organizations. The need for interoperability and ease of access today is underscored in this pandemic era. The need for streamlined testing and reporting has been identified as a key to our country's recovery. The quick shift to remote work and learning meant organizations did not have the time to inventory what applications and technologies they already had in place. For example, many organizations adopted MS Teams or Zoom but had subscriptions to WebEx and GoToMeeting that they now realize they need to address. Just like with our healthcare partners, organizations across every industry found themselves in a position where they needed to either rationalize or decommission applications to recover operational dollars and identify methods to level the playing field.
An industry trend I’m witnessing is organizations choosing their partner based on their ability to do more. While they may be looking for one singular product or solution initially, they are often interested in the other products available. For example, at ELLKAY, someone may request information regarding data archiving, but they are also frequently interested in interoperability, laboratory, and payer solutions. Therefore, we maintain our focus on innovation in technology across these segments. At the same time, the pandemic rapidly increased demand for solutions that tackled healthcare data challenges.
What is the most rewarding part of being in the healthcare IT industry?
The most rewarding part about being in the healthcare industry is being a part of companies who are committed to making IT better. When this is done correctly, people’s lives are changed in so many ways. I am proud to be a part of a company that empowers its team to make great decisions, focusing on putting the patient and provider at the center of everything we do.
Especially in healthcare, the problems you see people facing don’t usually disappear after their 9-5. They are struggles that people think about as they sit to eat dinner with their families. The thoughts that keep people awake while they lay their head on their pillows reflecting on the day. When you can be a part of building the solution to those problems, that is truly rewarding.
What advice would you give a woman interested in pursuing a health IT career?
Take the time to educate yourself on what is currently going on within the healthcare IT space and how we got to this point. What systems are in place? What needs still need to be met? Improvements can still be made regarding how healthcare data is processed and shared. For a new person entering this field, there are endless opportunities to make an impact. During your career, you will grow as an individual while playing your part in making healthcare better.